10 Most Surprising NHL Teams Thus Far
While it is still very early in the 2010-11 NHL season, there are already more than a few surprises in the overall standings.
Teams that were supposed to be world-beaters are sitting in the basement, while other teams that were supposed to struggle have come flying right out of the gate and sit amongst the NHL’s best.
Let’s take a look at the 10 most surprising NHL teams thus far, for better or for worse.
New Jersey Devils
1 of 10
OK, so not everybody thought the New Jersey Devils would be dominant this season. But there sure were a fair amount of experts who were suggesting the Devils would be a contender for the Atlantic Division title and/or the Eastern Conference’s top team.
Through 13 games the Devils sit dead last in the NHL standings, with a paltry record of 3-9-1.
The Devils have scored just 20 times in 13 games, they have seen superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk benched for one game for allegedly coming late to a meeting and they have been dealing with significant injuries on the blue line.
Now, with the entire team seemingly in disarray, it appears as if all-star caliber sniper Zach Parise will be on the shelf for up to 12 weeks...not good!
I said from the get-go that the Devils would struggle to find chemistry until the 20-25 game mark. That said, given their poor results thus far, I’d say the Devils are definitely the NHL’s most disappointing team.
Buffalo Sabres
2 of 10Without a true superstar in the entire forward group (although you could make an argument for Tomas Vanek), it always amazes me that the Buffalo Sabres seem to find a way to be amongst the best teams in the NHL.
Of course, a lot of their success can be attributed to the fantastic coaching of long-time bench boss Lindy Ruff and the stellar goal-tending of Ryan Miller.
Well, through 12 games the Sabres own a record of 3-7-2, which is both troubling and shocking to many NHL pundits.
Averaging 2.50 goals for per game, the Sabres rank 25th out of 30 teams. Meanwhile, the Sabres’ are averaging 3.27 goals against per game, which is killing the team's chances of winning.
Defensive breakdowns have been the biggest cause for the rise in goals against, but with a save percentage of .903 (26th overall) and a goals against average of 2.71 (22nd overall), Miller is far off the standard he has set in each of the past two seasons—when he was lights-out on a nightly basis.
Given the Sabres’ consistent play and the way the team seemed to grow by leaps and bounds last season, it is shocking to see where they are today—29th overall in a 30-team league.
Tampa Bay Lightning
3 of 10
Hands up all three of you who picked the Tampa Bay Lightning to be a top five team in the Eastern Conference this season. Not raising your hand? You are not alone. I did pick them to finish fifth, and thus far, the Lightning are making me look good.
Through ten games the Lightning own a record of 7-2-1, good enough for second overall in the standings.
While the club has been mediocre defensively (30 goals in ten games), the Lightning have made up for it with a powerful offense (35 goals in ten games) that has a knack for timely goals.
Goaltending problems? Who's got goaltending problems? Not when you have a trio like Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis in your lineup!
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St. Louis Blues
4 of 10Leading the NHL with only one loss, the St. Louis Blues are off to a 6-1-2 start through their first nine games.
Much of their success can be attributed to the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak who, despite being cast aside by the Montreal Canadiens this summer, has proven to be the real deal. He has posted a record of 6-1-1 to go along with an impressive 1.71 goals against average (third overall), a tremendous .932 save percentage, (fourth overall) and two shutouts (second overall).
Outside of the Boston Bruins, who average 1.38 goals against per game, the Blues have been the NHL's best defensive team, averaging an impressive 1.78 goals against per game—a huge improvement from the 2.66 goals against per game in 2009-10 (11th overall).
San Jose Sharks
5 of 10
Thought to be a leading candidate to win the coveted Presidents Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team (aren't they considered a favorite every season?), the San Jose Sharks have disappointed, going a mediocre 5-3-1 in their first nine games.
Last season the Sharks finished with a 2.55 goals against average (eighth overall) and scored an average of 3.13 goals per game (fourth overall).
This season, the Sharks have hit a few bumps in the road with regards to keeping the puck out of the net, but it’s not as bad as one would think. Averaging 2.78 goals against per game (15th overall), the Sharks appear to be fairly solid in net, even without the services of long-time all-star goaltender Evgeni Nabokov between the pipes, who left for the KHL. (Don't let the door hit ya in the butt on the way out Nabby!)
Offensively, the Sharks are actually up from last season, averaging 3.22 goals per game. As it turns out, it’s not the Sharks who are the big surprise. It’s all the teams that are in front of them. That said, we are not used to seeing the Sharks occupying the 19th-overall spot in the standings—that much is a huge surprise in my eyes.
New York Rangers
6 of 10
Lots of people (including myself) thought the Rangers would not make the playoffs. While it is still early and there is plenty of time for the wheels to fall off the track in New York, the Rangers have impressed early on—especially in light of playing so well without superstar forward Marian Gaborik for an extended period of time.
Through 11 games, the Rangers have earned a 6-4-1 record, including an impressive 4-1-0 record away from Madison Square Garden. The Rangers quick start has them in 10th place overall. That is not bad, all things considered.
Bolstered by an offense that is averaging 3.09 goals per game (seventh overall) the Rangers are scoring nearly half a goal more per contest (over 2009-10) while holding fairly steady in the goals against department (2.61 GAA in 2009) at 2.91 in 2010-11.
Nashville Predators
7 of 10
Given the fact the Nashville Predators were coming off a 100-point season in 2009-10 and their subsequent strong showing in last year's playoffs, I was shocked to see how little respect the Predators were getting in the preseason predictions.
I too thought the Preds would struggle—especially offensively—which led me to predict they would be a playoff bubble team.
Through 10 games the Preds are sitting in ninth overall and looking very good.
Sure, averaging just 2.30 goals per game (28th overall) means the Predators have struggled offensively. But their 2.50 goals against per game average (11th overall) has bailed them out and led them to a very strong start to the 2010-11 season.
While the jury is still out on the Preds keeping the opposition off the scoreboard for 82 games, it appears as if many experts have underestimated them—kind of the norm, right?
New York Islanders
8 of 10
Many of us had the New York Islanders pegged to be a bottom-feeder in 2010-11 once again. Through 11 games the Islanders have earned a record of 4-5-2, leading many to say: "Hey, those Islanders—they don’t suck!”
While it is too early to tell if the Islanders are for real, it appears as if they are on their way to being somewhat respectable. That means they are exceeding a lot of people’s expectations.
The Islanders finished the 2009-10 season with the 26th ranked defense, averaging an ugly 3.15 goals against per game. Offensively the Islanders averaged 2.61 goals scored per game—good enough for 21st overall.
This season the Islanders are averaging 3.27 goals against per game (26th overall) and 2.82 goals scored per game. While not a huge difference overall, the Islanders are demonstrating the ability to score timely goals, which is partially responsible for the Islanders' early success.
In the end, it all comes down to two players—goaltender Dwayne Roloson and John Tavares, who, with all due respect to defenseman James Wisniewski (who has been excellent), have been the team's two best players on the ice on more nights than not.
Philadelphia Flyers
9 of 10Given the tough start the Flyers had in 2009-10 and their ensuing long run in the Stanley Cup Finals, many felt the Flyers may start the 2010-11 season off on a bad note.
The news of Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton’s injury only furthered the doubt surrounding the Flyers. In hindsight, that was completely misdirected.
Through 12 games the Flyers have a record of 7-4-1, earning the top spot in the Atlantic Division, fourth overall.
Offensively, the trio of Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere and Claude Giroux has emerged as the Flyers' best players, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (6-2-0, 2.39 GAA, .918 save percentage) has been one of the biggest surprises in the entire NHL thus far.
Given all the struggles the Flyers worked through last spring, you’d think we’d all learn just how resilient the orange and black can be. Sadly, it appears as if it takes some people a little more time to figure this out than others. I got egg on my face on this one!
Boston Bruins
10 of 10
Suffice to say I think we all knew the Boston Bruins would be an improved team from the 2009-10 version. That said, I don’t think anyone would have guessed the Bruins would be “this good,” especially when you consider how dominant the team has been defensively—giving up just 11 goals in its first eight games.
Leading the way is veteran goal-tender Tim Thomas. Through six starts he has given up a minuscule three goals, giving one of the nicest guys in hockey an unbelievable 0.50 goals against average and a stunning .984 save percentage.
Needless to say, as good as Thomas has been, the entire team should be congratulated on its defensive prowess.
With a record of 6-2-0 through eight games, the Bruins own the second-best winning percentage in the league at .750 percent (just behind the St. Louis Blues at .778 percent).
With 12 points, the Bruins are currently sitting 13th overall, seventh in the Eastern Conference. It’s just a matter of time before the Bruins catch up in games played, which should allow the Bruins to rack up a few more wins and gain a few positions in the standings.
Honorable Mentions: The Dallas Stars have been great thus far, but can they hold on to Brad Richards? There were a lot of Chicago Blackhawks doubters out there, and while I think they could have been better thus far, they have shown glimpses of excellence. After a hot start, the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to be cooling off. But hey, if I said the Leafs would be a .500 team after 10 games you'd probably have taken that!
GOT AN NHL QUESTION? Email me at theslapshotpucktalk@gmail.com ***I'll feature one great question every week www.theslapshot.com, so check back for your answers!
Until next time,
Peace!
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